Many types of materials are shipped via rail and truck from manufacturer to user, requiring large fleets of railcars, trucks and cargo containers. Those materials include hazardous materials such as chemicals, which raises safety and environmental concerns. Therefore, a system that can prevent hazardous material incidents by tracking shipments from sender to receiver and reporting real-time position and alert information via web mapping software is highly desirable for material manufacturers, shippers and the communities through which the shipments pass.